FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said he would support moves to stage the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during the winter months, but warned that such an action would be difficult to implement.
Fears that the searing heat that prevails in the Gulf emirate in the traditional World Cup months of June and July would make it dangerous for players and fans alike, quickly followed FIFA’s decision to award the 2022 tournament to Qatar,
German legend Franz Beckenbauer, a FIFA executive committee member, and FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke are among those who have voiced support for a switch of dates.
Blatter told a press conference in Abu Dhabi where the club World Cup is taking place that he too supported a winter World Cup.
“It is important to play when the climate is appropriate and I’m thinking about the footballers, not only the fans but the actors,” he said.
“Personally I think it would be better that it is played in the winter … but it’s not easy to realise.”
Blatter, however, said he had no regrets over the vote earlier this month which saw Qatar defeat rival bids from United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
Blatter met with football officials in Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait as well as Qatar during a tour of the region this week, but said the decision on expanding the tournament beyond Qatar must come from the desert nation
“The basic principle signed is about 64 matches in Qatar in the months of June and July, that’s what we have at the moment,” he said.
“If Qatar wants a change, the demand must come from Qatar and send later to FIFA. All the countries (in the zone) are happy and proud for the Middle East and Gulf.”
The change would have major implications for domestic competitions in Britain and the rest of Europe where the league programmes would be in full swing.
Joe FC
Guest
-"there are many good things to come out of Qatar already since the 2022 announcement." Full diplomatic relations with Israel isn't one of them.
Sharminator
Roar Rookie
"we dont live in a perfect world where only perfect countries like australia, england and the usa get the right to host the world cup!" True ... in your own words. the fact that Qatar won the world cup was imperfect ... it was to do with an oil rich country, without the infrastructure, size, or football history, and with history of human rights abuse, buying votes, and showing how corrupt FIFA is.
KP
Guest
Spot on Victer. We're all a bit miffed we lost out to Qatar, but that we'll get over. Its the process itself thats got most of us riled up. We're not a corrupt country, we play by the rules as best we can (as exemplified by our "do everything by the book and no bribes" attempt at securing the cup). If when not awarded to us, fine, but to find the whole process a sham, rules changing and below board cash being passed around - thats whats really ticking us off. If that was the case we wouldn't have bothered.
Victer
Guest
That's kind of the point, if FIFA wanted desperately to have a world cup in the middle east that's fine. But don't pretend the bidding process has legitimacy to it. FIFA should have let countrys know that this was going to be the case and spared their effort. In the end Qatar is getting concessions no other country would ever get. You either have rules and standards in the whole bidding and hosting process to be abided by, or you don't have them at all.
Victer
Guest
He has the experience
Rusty0256
Guest
Gee, I wish someone had told us (Australia) that it might be negotiable to hold the WC in January; no AFL / RL problems, much better stadium access, including Etihad, top weather and virtually 100% media focus. Hmmm, I guess Aussie Cricket may have been a bit pissed though. It's extrordiary to see many of the good men of FIFA becoming (all of a sudden) so flexible when enough graft is dropped into the right bank accounts.
JJ
Guest
If a few people complain about the world cup announcement so what?, this is an australian site and naturally will be filled with disappointed australians. This is an opinion site and people will give their opinions -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Qatar 2022
Guest
Qatar have not applied to fifa to play the world cup in January neither has Qatar approached neighbouring countries to help host matches. these are suggestions made by fifa. there are the same negative stories about Qatar 2022 everyday on this site, and the comments are just as bad. why dont you report about how Qatar was the mediator between Algeria and Egypt last wednesday and they settled their differences thanks to persuasions of the Qatar FA. there are many good things to come out of Qatar already since the 2022 announcement. dont you see what fifa is doing, they want to bring the world cup to the middle east and do wahtever it takes to achieve its goals. we dont live in a perfect world where only perfect countries like australia, england and the usa get the right to host the world cup!
oly09
Guest
If there are games played in a few countries in the Gulf in 2022 what does that mean for those countries qualifying and the amount of spots for other Asian teams? -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Sharminator
Roar Rookie
Nice ... award the World Cup then change the rules ... credibility aint in the vocab of FIFA ...
apaway
Guest
FIFA have proven themselves yet again as an organisation that simply does not get the transperancy of their own corruption. Rather than change the timing of the 2022 World Cup, the sensible thing to do would be to change the hosts, and thus acknowledge the farce that the last bidding process descended into.
tony yeboah
Guest
Right on. And it wouldn't surprise me if this was the plan all long. Give the cup to Qatar, and then we will slowly start changing the rules so that it can be held in winter, in other countries etc etc. FIFA are a joke.
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
Exactly. This is what really gets my goat about this whole farce: First Blatter starts saying that "some games might be played in the other Gulf states", when that was never part of the Qatar bid book, using the example of Australia, who, according to him, suggested some games in New Zealand, which was NEVER part of the bid book. He makes this up to try to create some false legitimacy for his corrupt awarding of the World Cup to Qatar. Next, he starts openly talking about moving the WC to January so that it's cooler. That was never part of Qatar's World Cup Bid. Perhaps the amount of cash that's lined the FIFA Ex-Co's pockets has affected their understandings of the rules of their own organisation? Shifting the goalposts like this is an extra insult to all of the unsuccessful bidders for 2022, and possibly the worst of them all.
Bend it like Barassi
Guest
What a joke of a governing body FIFA is. Changing the rules after a country wins a bid. All the rules about number of stadiums in cities, the timing of the cup that is so set in stone etc obviously don't apply.